Method and system for marking stamps



June 13, 1967 M. GOLDSHQLL 3,325,189 METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MARKINGSTAMPS Original Filed Oct. 31, 1963 INVENTDR M OR TON GOLDSHOL LATTORNEY United States Patent 3,325,189 METHGD AND SYSTEM FOR MARKINGSTAMPS Morton Goldsholl, Northfield, Il]., assignor to Eureka- CarlisleCompany, Scranton, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 431,786, Feb. 9, 1965, which is a division ofapplication Ser. No. 320,499, Oct. 31, 1963, now Patent No. 3,176,891,dated Apr. 6. 1965. This application Mar. 14, 1966, Ser. No. 533,964

1 Claim. (Cl. 283-452) This application is a continuation of US.application Ser. No. 431,786 filed Feb. 9, 1965, now abandoned, whichapplication was a division of US. application 320,499, filed Oct. 31,1963, now US. Patent 3,176,891 granted Apr. 6, 1965.

This invention relates to stamps and more particularly to a method andsystem for marking stamps to facilitate the counting thereof for thepurpose of dispensing same.

The use of stamps, particularly trading stamps, is becoming moreprevalent in todays business world. Merchants have found that offeringtrading stamps with the purchase of goods or services can be a strongcustomer attraction. On the other hand these same merchants have foundthat the dispensing of such trading stamps can be an expense and anuisance.

Trading stamps are usually dispensed in proportion to the customers cashoutlay for goods and/or services. If too few stamps are given to thecustomer, they may consider themselves cheated and never return, If toomany stamps are given, the merchants expense due to using such stampsrises. It is therefore important that the correct quantity of stamps bedispensed to each customer.

Merchants operating on a large scale volume, such as supermarkets or thelike, can afford to use automatic dispensers which, in response to thepush of a button or the rotation of a dial, dispense a measured quantityof stamps. However, many merchants, due to either the size of theirbusiness or the manner in which they serve their customers (such asservice stations), find it impractical if not impossible to utilize anautomatic dispenser and instead count off the stamps from either a rollor book of such stamps. For these merchants their hand counting ofstamps is usually time consuming, very susceptible of error, and anuisance.

To successively number each stamp or to number same in groups (1 to andrepeat) does not solve the hand counting problem since the stamps areusually printed with numerical values and are often overprinted withnumbers to indicate lot, source, merchant or the like; all of whichpresent to the person doing the counting a myriad of numbers whichconfuse the counting operation. Alphabetical lettering of successivestamps is just as confusing since the stamps are printed with letters toshow whose they are and are also overprinted with letters to indicatelot, source, merchant and other control information.

In addition each stamp supplier has a design and color or pattern ofcolors to make their stamps distinctive and any system which upsets suchdesign or color pattern (as by coloring entire areas of successivestamps different colors in repetitive groups) is also unacceptable.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel andimproved method and system for marking stamps to facilitate the countingthereof.

It is another object to provide a novel and improved method and systemfor marking trading stamps to facilitate the counting thereof for thepurpose of dispensing same.

It is a further object to provide a novel and improved set of markingsto be placed in repetitive groups on successive ones of stamps, tofacilitate counting of such stamps. i

In carrying out this invention, according to a preferred embodiment, aset of nonalphanumeric symbols (neither letters of the alphabet ornumbers) are arranged in predetermined order in repetitive manner and onsuccessive stamps on a strip of stamps. By observing the number ofstamps in each row of the strip of stamps (if there are more than onestamp in each row), by observing the number of symbols used, and byobserving the number of times a symbol repeats one can easily andrapidly count the stamps.

The features and advantages of the invention will be seen from theabove, from the following description of the preferred embodiment whenconsidered in conjunction with the drawing, and from the claims.

The drawing shows a strip of stamps embodying the present invention.

For convenience the invention will be described with five differentnonalphanumeric symbols disposed in a predetermined sequence and in arepetitive manner on the center column of a strip of stamps five stampswide, in roll form, and being dispensed from a container such as thecontainer shown in US. Patent 3,176,891; it being understoodnevertheless that any convenient number of different symbols can beused, that such symbols can be disposed on one or more columns of stampsin the strip, that the strip can be one or more columns wide, that itcan be in book form as well as roll form, and that it need notnecessarily be associated with a dispensing device.

Referring now to the drawing, the numeral 20 generally designates adispensing container of conventional construction, such as that shown inUS. Patent 3,176,891 within which there is disposed a strip of stamps22, in roll form, having five columns 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, and 242 and aplurality of rows 26a, 26b, 26c, 26d, 26c, 26 etc. of stamps 28.

A first symbol, 30, is disposed on stamp 28 in column 24crow 26a; asecond symbol,- 32, is disposed on stamp 28 in column 24c-row 26b; athird symbol, 34, is disposed on stamp 28 in column 24c-row 26c; afourth symbol, 36, is disposed on stamp 28 in column 24crow 26d; and afifth symbol, 38, is disposed on stamp 28 in column 24crow 26c. Thesequence of symbols 3t), 32, 34, 36, and 38 is then repeated as long asrequired.

Assuming the user desires to count off a number of stamps they need onlyremember that the stamps are five wide and that the symbols repeat everyfive stamps. By observing the symbol on the first row of stamps and thenumber of times it repeats, if at all, the proper number of stamps iseasily and rapidly dispensed.

While the symbols 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38 shown are of specificconfiguration it should be obvious that other suitable symbols (such asdiamonds, hearts, pyramids, cylinders, etc.) can just as easily beemployed.

Each stamp 28 of stamp strip 22 is printed, in conventional manner andaccording to the desires of the supplier, with a pattern 42 includingnumbers, letters, and one or more colors to make stamps 28 distinctiveand easily identifiable to the users. In addition each stamp may beoverprinted with letters 44 and/or numbers 46 to show lot, source,merchant, and other control informat-ion.

From the above description it will thus be seen that a novel andimproved marking method and system has been provided, which, through theuse of nonalphanumeric symbols placed in a predetermined order and in arepetitive manner on successive ones of a strip of stamps, provides foran accurate, efficient and rapid counting of such stamps to facilitatedispensing thereof.

I claim: 7 An array of removably attached stamps each of which is of apredetermined Wording, denomination, and color pattern and each of Whichis adapted to be overprinted with numbers and letters; the stamps beingarranged in columns and rows: comprising (a) a first identifying symbol;(b) a second identifying symbol; (c) additional identifying symbols; (d)said first identifying symbol, said second identifying symbol, and saidadditional identifying symbols, all being nonalphanumeric and beingarranged in a predetermined sequence and disposed on only a portion ofthe area on successive ones or a like predetermined number of stamps inone column of the array of stamps;

(c) said nonalphanumeric symbols being of a configuration and disposedon the stamps so as to be readily discernible thereagainst; and

(f) said predetermined sequence of symbols being further disposed in arepetitive manner on successive predetermined numbers of stamps in saidone column to facilitate the counting of the stamps References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,116,918 11/1914 Putnam et a1. 1,982,304 11/1934Holden 283-62 X 3,176,891 4/1965 Goldsholl 283-62 X LAWRENCE CHARLES,Primary Examiner.

